Pourquoi la diaspora boude la Terre promise

Natan Sharansky, patron de l'Agence juive pour Israël, en 2007.

Une des conséquences les moins visibles des remous de l’économie mondiale se cache dans les statistiques annuelles de l’émigration vers l’État hébreu : ces deux dernières années, le nombre de Juifs ayant réclamé la citoyenneté israélienne a augmenté. « Malgré l’instabilité économique sur le plan international, Israël s’en sort incroyablement bien », se réjouit Natan Sharansky, l’ancien dissident soviétique qui a pris l’an dernier la tête de l’Agence juive pour Israël. Installée à Jérusalem, l’institution, qui promeut l’immigration et accueille les nouveaux venus, reconnaît cependant que l’ère des arrivées massives est terminée. Sharansky estime que, cette année, seulement 18 000 Juifs auront accompli leur aliyah, qui signifie à la fois « ascension » et « installation en Israël ». On est loin des centaines de milliers de migrants arrivant de l’ex-Union soviétique au début des années 1990. « L’époque de l’immigration massive est derrière nous. Il ne s’agit plus de sauver des Juifs des pogroms, de l’Holocauste, ni d’aucune persécution, explique Sharansky. Aujourd’hui, 94 % des Juifs vivent dans le monde libre et ont le choix de venir ou non en Israël. »

Contrairement à ce qu’espéraient les pères fondateurs du sionisme, l’écrasante majorité des Juifs d’Amérique et d’Europe a choisi de ne pas partir. Un choix qui déçoit beaucoup en Israël, dont le fondement idéologique est l’idée que tous les Juifs doivent vivre dans leur propre État. Le recul de l’immigration juive alimente aussi des inquiétudes quant à l’équilibre démographique. Pour l’instant, entre le Jourdain et la Méditerranée, les Juifs sont plus nombreux que les Arabes. Mais cela devrait changer avec la croissance démographique plus rapide des Palestiniens.  suite>>

A New Low For Shas

In defiance of the Shas statement this week that he give up his Knesset seat as a party member, the rabbi said he will not step down, and is considering starting his own party, one that would appeal to traditional Sephardim who value tolerance as well as religious laws. Rabbi Amsalem represents those who feel Shas political leaders have taken on the insularity and rigidity of some “black hat” Ashkenazi figures.

Sometimes it seems the nastiness of Israeli politics is surpassed only by the nastiness of Israeli religious politics. And so it is that one of the bright spots in the Knesset, Rabbi Chaim Amsalem, who has courageously advocated for a solution to the conversion crisis based on halachic sources, has been, in effect, removed from the Shas party and, worse still, compared to Amalek, the biblical figure who embodies pure evil.

The newspaper of Shas, a religious Sephardic party, this week described Rabbi Amsalem as a “heretic” and akin to Amalek, whose memory, according to Jewish law, must be eradicated. more on thejewishweek>>

La lettre d'information d'Akadem

Newsletter n°spécial 'Hanouca / Tsédaka
30 novembre 2010

Toute l'équipe d'Akadem vous souhaite
de très bonnes fêtes de 'Hanouca 5771

Avec Akadem, faites toute la lumière sur 'Hanouca,
symbole de la résistance à l'assimilation.
Profitez des longues soirées d'hiver pour éclairer d'un jour nouveau
l'histoire et la signification de la fête des lumières...

'Hanouca c'est aussi les réunions en famille, ou entre amis…
mais pour tous ceux qui n'ont pas cette chance et dont la vie manque parfois cruellement de lumière, l'Appel national pour la tsédaka est l'occasion de mettre en œuvre le principe de solidarité, fondateur du judaïsme.

Bonnes fêtes et bonne navigation sur Akadem.

L'équipe d'Akadem,

 'Hanouca ou la résistance à l'assimilation
Persistance de la lumière et de l'identité juive. Au-delà des rituels traditionnels du solstice d'hiver, quelle est la véritable spécificité de la fête de 'Hanouca?

• Indestructible vitalité d’Israël, par David SAADA
• Universalisme et choc des cultures, par Marc KUJAWSKI
• Permanence de la lumière, par Gérard ZYZEK
• 'Hanouca dans la tradition juive, par Philippe HADDAD
• L'épopée des Maccabées, par Mireille HADAS-LEBEL
• 'Hanouca: "Non par la force, mais par mon esprit!", par Alain GOLDMANN

La guerre métaphysique entre juifs et grecs

Dans un rapport de fascination et de résistance, deux cultures universelles se font face.

La résistance juive à l'acculturation  grecque nous renvoie à une réflexion étrangement contemporaine sur l'identité nationale.

• La guerre métaphysique entre juifs et grecs, par Bernard-Henri LEVY
• Benny Lévy: l'exil grec et l'universalité de la Tora, par Philippe TAPIERO
• Ce qu'universel veut dire, par Jean-Claude MILNER
• Une lecture lévinassienne de Benny Lévy, par Alain FINKIELKRAUT
• Les deux textes fondateurs de la culture occidentale, par Thierry ALCOLOUMBRE
• Les références homériques du Talmud, par Thierry ALCOLOUMBRE

Responsable de son prochain...

"Chaque individu d'Israël est responsable de son prochain

comme de son frère."

Dans une société toujours plus dure et individualiste comment mettre en œuvre ce fondement de la pensée juive? Quellle est la spécificité juive du concept de solidarité.

• La responsabilité à l'égard du nécessiteux, par Emeric DEUTSCH
• L’atteinte à la parnassa d’autrui, par Abraham WEINGORT
• Un regard juif sur la science économique, par Claude RIVELINE
• Le désir de donner, par Henri COHEN-SOLAL
• De la justice à la charité, par Claude SULTAN

Happy Deep Fried Hanukkah

Hannukah is by far my favorite Jewish holiday because it is all fun without the formalities.

There are no five course meals to prepare, telephones calls wishing third cousins on the husband’s side happy holidays, no extensive present buying or crazy month long cleaning sessions. This is a time for casual friend and family gatherings for tasty treats and candle lighting.

After the mandatory candle lighting, this miracle is also commemorated by eating large amounts of deep fried foods in any shape or form...Two of the most popular foods are jam filled sufganiyot (donuts) and potato pancakes (also known as latkes or levivot) but creative chefs and home cooks have introduced their own fun deep fried concoctions.

This is an excerpt from sarahmelamed.com. Check out her whole post for more on her favorite holiday treats and for some great Hanukkah recipes

La synagogue du Rambam au Caire, ou l’occasion perdue -Michelle Mazel- « I.S.E. – Institut Sepharade Europeen – E.S.I.

envoyé par Elie Mangoubi





par Michelle Mazel


L''Egypte et Israël, ennemis naguère et aujourd'hui liés par une paix fragile,  ont manqué en ce début de mars une rencontre avec l'histoire.

Depuis quatre mille ans que de difficiles relations existent entre ces deux pays et ces deux peuples voisins, quelques grandes figures ont émergé qui sont révérés par les uns comme par les autres.  Moise est considéré comme un égyptien sur les bords du Nil et son effigie   fait face à celle de Joseph dans le musée de cire de  Helwan. Il en est de même pour Moise Ben Maimon, le Rambam, le grand philosophe qui fut aussi médecin de Saladin. Après sa mort  Juifs et Arabes ont attribué des vertus miraculeuses à sa Yeshiva, l'école où il s'adressait à ses disciples. Ce petit édifice  au coeur de ce qui était le quartier juif du Caire, le Haret el Yehud attirait les malades de toutes les communautés qui venaient y chercher la guérison.   Mais les Juifs ont été chassés de ce quartier comme du reste de l'Egypte et la vénérable Yeshiva a souffert des ravages du temps et de la montée des eaux d'une nappe souterraine. La synagogue adjacente s'est écroulée lors d'un tremblement de terre. Seuls de rares visiteurs étaient autorisés à venir se recueillir en ce lieu.  C'est alors que le ministre égyptien de la culture, qui briguait la direction de l'Unesco, a annoncé sa volonté de restaurer des monuments juifs. Il y eut d'abord la grande synagogue du Caire, Shaar Hashamaim, dont le centenaire fut célébré avec faste fin 2007, puis vint le tour de la Yeshiva et de la synagogue. Un admirable travail de reconstruction aboutit à des résultats spectaculaires et tout était prêt pour la réouverture de ce lieu de mémoire. La présidente de la petite, toute petite, communauté juive du Caire commença à lancer les invitations. De partout les réponses fusèrent, positives. De France, d'Angleterre, des Etats Unis,  des Juifs qui avaient été forcé de quitté l'Egypte près d'un demi siècle plus tôt avec pour seule richesse le vêtement qu'ils portaient annonçaient leur venue. suite sur sefarad.org>>

Al-Azhar invites Jews to inter-faith talks

World Jewish Congress hails 'Banu Ibrahim - Children of Abraham Declaration' as landmark decision for Jewish-Muslim dialogue.

LONDON - In a speech to an event in London Tuesday, New York Rabbi Marc Schneier - a vice-president of the World Jewish Congress and a pioneer in fostering closer Jewish-Muslim relations in North America and Europe - praised leaders of the Al-Azhar Al-Sharif University in Cairo, the oldest center of Islamic scholarship in the world, for opening up inter-religious dialogue to the Jews.

The 'Banu Ibrahim - Children of Abraham Declaration' was officially delivered at a gathering of senior faith and political leaders hosted by the charity Children of Abraham and the Al-Azhar Institute for Dialogue with the Monotheistic Religions at the House of Lords on Tuesday. more>>

Humus wars at Princeton University

A group of Princeton University students proposed a boycott of the Sabra hummus brand for its donations to the Israeli army.

 On Monday, a referendum was organized by the Princeton Committee for Palestine to decide whether to offer alternative brands of hummus in the campus.

The group argued that the only hummus brand, Sabra, which is available, is linked to human rights violations, due to the fact that it supports members of the Israeli military, Haaretz reported.

In view of the referendum, the spokeswoman of Sabra in the U.S., Ilya Welfeld, claimed that the company only makes donations in North America and that non of them are to support political or military organisms. more>>

Tamir Pardo le nouveau chef du Mossad.

Le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu a nommé lundi à la tête du service des renseignements israéliens, le Mossad, un vétéran du service, Tamir Pardo, 57 ans, au moment où Israël est engagé, publiquement comme secrètement, contre le programme nucléaire iranien.

"Tamir Pardo a servi de nombreuses années à des postes importants au sein du Mossad dont il a été le numéro deux", indique un communiqué du bureau du Premier ministre. Il remplace Meïr Dagan, qui a dirigé le Mossad pendant huit ans, une durée particulièrement longue, qui quitte son poste en décembre. en savoir plus>>

Israël a cherché l’appui de l’Egypte et du Fatah pour son offensive à Gaza

Le ministre de la Défense israélien Ehud Barak a informé une délégation du Congrès en 2009 qu’Israël avait été en contact avec l’Egypte et l’Autorité palestinienne avant le lancement de l’offensive "Plomb durci", selon un câble diplomatique de l’ambassade des Etats Unis à Tel-Aviv, cité par le site. "Barak a expliqué (à la délégation) que le gouvernement israélien avait eu des consultations avec l’Egypte et le Fatah, leur demandant s’ils sont prêts à prendre le contrôle de la bande de Gaza après que le Hamas aura été défait", indique le câble.

"Barak a reçu une réponse négative, ce qui n’a rien pour surprendre", est-il précisé dans ce texte, qui rapporte que le ministre Barak s’est plaint de la faiblesse" de l’Autorité palestinienne et de "son manque de confiance en elle même. suite>>

Wikileaks : Israël capable de frapper l’Iran sans l’aide des Etats-Unis.

Israël pourrait mener une opération contre l’Iran sans l’aide des Etats-Unis mais sans qu’on soit sûr de son succès, a dit le secrétaire américain à la Défense, Robert Gates, au ministre français de la défense Hervé Morin, en février dernier, selon un document révélé par Wikileaks.

Interrogé par Morin sur la capacité d’Israël de frapper l’Iran sans l’aide militaire américaine, Gates a répondu "qu’il ne savait pas si elle réussirait mais qu’Israël pouvait mener cette opération", selon le compte-rendu secret d’une réunion entre les deux responsables, divulgué dimanche par le site Wikileaks. suite>>

The Bolivarian Alliance and the Hugo Chavez Propaganda Machine

by Joel D. Hirst

“We have to elaborate a new plan, and the one that we propose is the communicational and informational hegemony of the state,” said Andres Izarra, current President of TeleSUR (the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America {ALBA} international cable news station) in an interview in January of 2007. In May of that same year the Chavez government cancelled the broadcasting license for Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), the most important independent television station in Venezuela.

Keenly aware of the strategic importance of propaganda in their attempts to usher in their 21st Century Socialism, the ALBA has embarked upon an ambitious plan to control information across the hemisphere. Their work began in 2005 with the establishment of the cable news network TeleSUR.   more on CFR>>

Chili : femme ou fille des 33, elles racontent « l'enfer de la mine »

Ce livre que je signe, « 70 jours dans l'enfer de la mine » (éd. Prisma, sortie le 2 décembre) est le premier publié en France sur le calvaire des 33 Chiliens de la mine de cuivre et d'or de San José.

Il compile les témoignages de :

• Mónica, épouse de Florencio Ávalos, premier mineur sorti de dessous terre ;

• Maritza, la fille aînée de Victor Segovia, dit « l'écrivain » ;

• Verónica, la femme de Carlos Mamani, le mineur bolivien. (Télécharger la couverture)

Jour après jour, l'attente

Les trois femmes racontent, à la manière d'un journal de bord, ce qu'elles ont vécu pendant que leurs maris et père étaient enterrés à 700 mètres.
Elles vont bien au-delà de cet événement, le plus médiatisé de l'année, et décrivent le dur monde de la mine, les conditions de sécurité, les accidents à répétition et la manière dont ils sont généralement étouffés, l'origine des mineurs, leur difficile accès à l'éducation, à la santé…suite sur Rue89>>

Blocus de Gaza: 21 ONG demandent une action internationale

Israël refuse toujours de laisser entrer du matériel de construction à Gaza, ce qui empêche de mener à bien des projets internationaux pour des écoles, des centres de santé, de maisons ou de stations d'épuration.  Photo: AFP

«Les mesures prises par Israël afin "d'assouplir" le blocus illégal de Gaza face à l'importante pression internationale ont peu changé le sort de la population civile», disent 21 organisations dans ce rapport intitulé «Des espoirs réduits à néant - Prolongement du blocus à Gaza».
«La communauté internationale a allégé sa pression sur Israël, mais trop peu a été fait pour assouplir efficacement les restrictions imposées sur la vie quotidienne de 1,5 million de Palestiniens», disent ces organisations, parmi lesquelles Amnesty International, Oxfam, la Fédération internationale des droits de l'Homme (FIDH) ou le Norwegian Refugee Council. en savoir plus>

WikiLeaks and the Arab public sphere

by Mark Lynch

 

UPDATE: thus far, most of the mainstream Arab media seems to be either ignoring the Wikileaks revelations or else reporting it in generalities, i.e. reporting that it's happening but not the details in the cables. I imagine there are some pretty tense scenes in Arab newsrooms right now, as they try to figure out how to cover the news within their political constraints. Al-Jazeera may feel the heat the most, since not covering it (presumably to protect the Qatari royal family) could shatter its reputation for being independent and in tune with the "Arab street". So far, the only real story I've seen in the mainstream Arab media is in the populist Arab nationalist paper al-Quds al-Arabi, which covers the front page with a detailed expose focused on its bete noir Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the details are all over Arabic social media like Facebook and Twitter, blogs, forums, and online-only news sites like Jordan's Ammon News. This may be a critical test of the real impact of Arabic social media and the internet: can it break through a wall of silence and reach mass publics if the mass media doesn't pick up the story? 

  

Read the whole article on Foreign Policy

Documents reveal Egyptian leader's contempt for Iran

By Jeffrey Fleishman

CAIRO — Often startling in their candid prose, confidential diplomatic cables from meetings between U.S. diplomats and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reveal the longtime leader's deep animosity toward Iran, a cynical approach to democracy in Iraq and lingering resentment over complaints about his own human rights record.

The 82-year-old president's comments, among the welter of secret documents released Sunday by WikiLeaks, offer a peek into the Mideast's jittery psychology and frustration over decades of conflict. Some cables make clear that Arabian Peninsula monarchs have been privately imploring the United States to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

The statements by Mubarak, stripped of diplomatic veneer, provide a cutting assessment of his own nation's longstanding animosity toward Tehran. In a 2008 memo on a meeting with Sen. John Kerry, Mubarak says the Iranians "are big, fat liars and justify their lies because they believe it is for a higher purpose."  more>>

Explore an Amazing History With All Inclusive Holidays in Egypt

By Chris Brown

All inclusive holidays in Egypt offer even the most seasoned traveller a wonder. From the ancient pyramids to its modern and vibrant culture, holidays in Egypt are great for exploring and discovering. Whether you’re a history buff or not, you’ll soon become swept up in the myths and magic of this amazing site.

Start off with the most iconic - the pyramids. Representing one of the greatest architectural feats by man and the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the world’s oldest tourist attractions and for some, the only reason they visit Egypt. Three pyramids make up the formation; the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura. Each is a tomb to a different King of Egypt and in front of them lies the Sphinx, an enormous cat-like sculpture that has fascinated visitors for years.  continued>>

Cleric jailed for 4 years for marrying underaged-girl

Semarang District Court on Wednesday sentenced wealthy Muslim cleric Pudjiono Cahyo Widianto, 45, for marrying a 12-year-old girl.
The defendant, popularly known as Syech Puji, was also ordered to pay a Rp 60 million (US$6,680) fine or an extension of another four months in jail.

 
The verdict was two years lighter than the prosecutors’ demand.
The panel of judges presided over by Hari Mulyanto said in its verdict that the defendant was guilty of violating paragraph 81 in article 2 of the 2003 Children Protection Law.
“Based on medical records and testimonies by expert witnesses we conclude that the defendant has been proven guilty of cheating and lying to victim Lutfiana Ulfa so that she would have sex with him,” Hari said. continued>>

Les racistes, en prison !

"En Europe, plusieurs pays cherchent à restreindre l'entrée des immigrants, et aux Etats-Unis le thème des Latinos est un sujet de polémique. Mais la Colombie, elle, continue à réfléchir sur la façon de garantir le respect des droits des minorités raciales qui, au moins sur le papier [c'est-à-dire dans la Constitution de 1991], est célébré depuis de longues années", relate El Espectador.

Pour garantir ces droits, la commission première du Sénat vient donc d'approuver en première lecture un projet de loi qui prévoit des peines de trois à six ans de prison pour les coupables de discrimination raciales. suite>>

Gala Benefit Dinner Under the Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco

If you have an extra few thousands for dinner, that will get you in!

 AMERICAN SEPHARDI FEDERATION

Gala Benefit Dinner

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI King of Morocco

With Keynote Speaker

The Hon. Marc C. Ginsberg

Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco First Jew to be Appointed US Ambassador to an Arab Country

LEON LEVY LEADERSHIP AWARDS HONOREES: Florence Amzallag Tatistcheff Carlos Benaim Norman Benzaquen Special Entertainment Marouan Benabdallah Acclaimed Pianist MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2010 at The Pierre 2 East 61st Street NYC CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE INVITATION ed: believe it or not, Carlos Benaim and I worked at the same company in the early 70's.....he's now chief perfumer for IFF. The world is very small indeed.

Women’s rights: Deeds, not rhetoric

The blasphemy law must be repealed as it is misused by powerful clerics and politicians, demanded Chairperson National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) Anis Haroon amid a lingering controversy over a Christian woman facing death sentence on blasphemy charges.

by Sehrish Wasif

 National Commission on Status of Women seeks repealing of blasphemy law 

Islamabad - She was delivering a lecture on Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence against Women held here at the office of Aurat Foundation on Thursday.

The event was one of the main activities organized by the civil society to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women celebrated every year on November 25.

Haroon said according to one definition, militarism is an ideology that creates a culture of fear and supports the use of violence, aggression, or military interventions to settle disputes and to enforce economic and political interests. continued>>

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner dies aged 87

The director of the Stars Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back has died at the age of 87. Irvin Kershner died in Los Angeles on Saturday following a long illness, his agent confirmed today.

Kershner directed a number of Hollywood blockbusters including the James Bond film Never Say Never, Robocop2 as well as the Star Wars sequel.  He was already a successful director when George Lucas hired him to direct the Empire film, which was the second film to be produced in the Star Wars series.

The film sees Luke Skywalker lose a hand and the crucial twist to the story is exposed.

Viewers are hit with the shocking revelation that villain Darth Vader is actually Luke's father. Read more>>: 

The Jewish palate: Discovering the Jews of Cochin, India

Spice up your Shabbat meal with an exotic Southern Indian recipe fused with the flavors of our Cochini Cousins.

 Photo by: Yakir Levy

One of the more obscure Ethnic Jewish groups is from Cochin, India.  Also known as Malabar Jews, this group has a very rich and ancient heritage.  Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E, a group of Jews fled to a region in Southern India, where they were welcomed by the Emperor Bhaskara Ravivarman II.  The community lived as a distinct entity and in 379 C.E., the Hindu King Sira Primal issued an edict that the Jews were to live freely, build synagogues, and own property without conditions attached for as long as the world and the moon exist.  more with recipe>>

Memoirs of an Ottoman Mamlouk of Egypt

sent by Liliana Brown

Ya ahina ex alexandrians and cairotes,  Michael Mamlouk ex-Alexandrian has written his memoirs.

ed: please find below the page from the publisher of the book, XLibris

Memoirs of an Ottoman Mamlouk of Egypt

Available at United States Bookstore
Click Here to Order this Book

Juifs du maroc :Témoignage

envoyé par Viviane Paolini

Par Adam Schreck

Il est 13h30, rue "Moulay Ismail" à Rabat. Esther Peretz, une vieille dame de 80 ans est assise toute seule dans un coin sur les marches de la plus grande synagogue de Rabat, "Talmud Torah".

 

Une écharpe sur la tête, le visage buriné, pâle et triste, elle paraît inquiète, troublée, et ne cesse d'observer le va-et-vient des passants.

Chaque fois que quelqu'un s'approche des marches, elle se lève et prend un air affolé, mais personne ne la remarque. Elle attend que la synagogue ouvre ses portes à 15h00.

 

"Esther habitait dans le quartier El Mellah et lorsque le plafond de sa maison s'est effondré elle a cherché refuge chez nous", indique Marie, la secrétaire de la synagogue, d'un ton irrité. Cette vieille dame juive est née à Salé, une ville séparée de la capitale du royaume par le fleuve Bou Regreg.

 

"Je n'ai jamais trouvé de bonne raison qui me pousse à quitter mon pays natal comme tous mes proches partis en Israël", murmure l'octogénaire, les yeux embués de larmes. suite>>

Daniel Mendoza Legendary Jewish English Prizefighter

sent by Mathew Posner

Daniel Mendoza (5 July 1764^[1] - 3 September 1836) (often known as Dan Mendoza) was an English prizefighter, who was boxing champion of England 1792-95

Before Mendoza, boxers generally stood still and merely swapped punches. Mendoza's style consisted of more than simply battering opponents into submission; his "scientific style" included much defensive movement. He developed an entirely new style of boxing, incorporating defensive strategies, such as what he called “side-stepping”, moving around, ducking, blocking, and, all in all, avoiding punches. At the time, this was revolutionary, and Mendoza was able to overcome much heavier opponents as a result of this new style. Though he stood only 5'7" and weighed only 160 pounds, Mendoza was England’s sixteenth Heavyweight Champion from 1792 to 1795, and is the only middleweight to ever win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. In 1789 he opened his own boxing academy and published the book The Art of Boxing on modern "scientific" style boxing which every subsequent boxer learned from.  continued on Wikipedia>>  

 Daniel Mendoza was the first Jewish prize-fighter to become a champion. Though he stood only 5'7" and weighed 160 pounds, Mendoza was England’s sixteenth Heavyweight Champion from 1792 to 1795. Always proud of his heritage, he billed himself as Mendoza the Jew.

He is the father of scientific boxing. At a time when the sport of boxing consisted primarily of barehanded slugging, Mendoza introduced the concept of defense. He developed the guard, the straight left, and made use of side­stepping tactics. This new strategy, the Mendoza School, also referred to as the Jewish School, was criticized in some circles as cowardly. But it permitted Mendoza to fully capitalize on his small stature, speed, and punching power.  more>>

Jewish Quarter of Damascus blooms again

sent by Marlyse Saporta

After years of poor maintenance and oblivion, the Harat al-Yahoud is coming back to life, but nobody is asking its former inhabitants.

 Photo by: Lucien Gabbay

Two buses are parked next to each other close to the Umayyad Mosque compound in the center of Old Damascus. A group of female Iranian tourists clad in black chadors disembarks from the one, while the other bus is carrying a group of Germans, who hold bottles of water and wide hats against the summer heat. First trip for the Germans, third for the Iranians who feel at home and at ease.

Both groups came to spend the week in Damascus, a new hip destination for international tourism. Everyone who recently visited the Syrian capital probably noticed the extraordinary development that both parts of the city – old and new – are going through. Trendy cafes and malls are sprouting, new glitzy hotels open their doors and the flow of tourists, both Western and Arab, has increased significantly, up 56 percent during the first seven months of this year. The city is opening up to the West, even if the regime is not, and seems to be in a hurry to shed its old outfit and to try on the new, elegant and shiny one of a popular tourist destination. continued in jpost>>

Towards a culture of peace and knowledge by Ambassador Aly Maher el Sayed

sent by Elie Mangoubi

The Ambassador Al Maher El Sayed talks about an urgent culture of peace and knowledge in relation to the realization of human rights and responsibilities, during the Video-conference 'UDHR Towards a Culture of Peace & Knowledge' in commemoration of the 60 Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the participation of key figures of Wikipedia, Library of Alexandria, UNESCO, Club of Rome, the European Commission, Fundacion Cultura de Paz. This video conference that took place at the IPRA Conference 2008, has been organized by M C Patricia Morales, for the UNESCO Chair on Building Sustainable Peace

Warda Et Georges Moustaki- enjoy!

sent by Liliane Saltiel

HANOUKA 2010 1ère lumière mercredi 1er décembre au soir

HANOUKA - CONTEXTE HISTORIQUE

Nous sommes au deuxième siècle avant l’ère chrétienne. La Judée, qui avait été conquise par Alexandre le Grand, est aux mains des Séleucides. Sa position stratégique au carrefour de l’Asie et de l’Afrique fait d’elle un enjeu vital dans la lutte entre les Ptolémées d’Egypte et les Séleucides gréco-syriens. Par ailleurs, la population subit l’influence grandissante de la culture hellénistique qui fait de nombreuses émules au sein de la jeunesse.
La menace de destruction physique et culturelle est donc contenue à grande peine par les tenants de la tradition hébraïque. C’est à cette époque que le roi Antiochus IV Epiphane décide l’acculturation forcée des juifs. Il interdit l’étude de la Torah, la pratique de la circoncision, le respect du Chabbat. Par ailleurs, tout est mis en œuvre pour helléniser la population. Nombreux sont ceux qui prennent des noms grecs ou se marient avec des non-juives. Cette tendance se retrouve aussi parmi le clergé où des prêtres se font les complices de l’occupant pour piller le trésor du Temple.  suite>>

Manifestation contre les violences faites aux femmes à Paris

regardez le diaporama ici>>

ISRAEL: Waiting for the WikiLeaks shoe to drop, still cleaning up past messes

As elsewhere, readers and leaders in Israel were waiting on Sunday for the WikiLeaks shoe to drop. Israel is included in a long list of countries that received a heads up from the U.S. about possible diplomatic embarrassment ahead.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday afternoon he didn't expect Israel to be the center of attention, although the American tip didn't specifically indicate what would be exposed. Netanyahu said there was always an "information gap" between what was said in public and private but that in Israel's case the gap wasn't "too big." That remains to be seen.
Local media was abuzz hours in advance, speculating -- or themselves leaking -- where Israel might feature in the big leak. Ronen Bergman, a leading Israeli journalist in the espionage and defense niche, wrote in Sunday's Yediot Aharonot that confidential correspondence between the State Department and the U.S. embassies to be exposed included personality profiles of Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak. Also expected are records of meetings with the Mossad chief and sensitive information originating in military intelligence. continued>>

Egypt's diplomacy exposed in latest WikiLeaks release

Among 250,000 classified US cables which began to be released on 28 November by online whistle-blower WikiLeaks are diplomatic messages that expose Egypt's alliance with the US in recent years. These include Cairo-issued advice to US officials on Iraq, pledges to pressure Hamas, and warnings of an Iranian threat.

 

While Egyptian officials delivered no official responses on the leak, analysts believe the release constitutes a diplomatic embarrassment for Cairo on several levels.

 

In a report by US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey, dated February 2009, Scobey writes, “The Egyptians have long felt that, at best, we take them for granted; and at worst, we deliberately ignore their advice while trying to force our point of view on them.” Scobey described Egypt as a “a stubborn and recalcitrant ally and added that giving worth to its self-perception as a central regional player is crucial to guarantee its “effectiveness on regional issues including Sudan, Lebanon and Iraq.” continued>>

"Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world"

You may or may not have heard about this debate between Christopher Hitchens, a known (Jewish) atheist, and former UK PM Tony Blair. I have always found Hitchens fascinating to read, to listen to and a formidable rhetorical pugilist. Before even listening to the debate, I had a feeling he would annihilate Blair. This is Part 2 of the videos, because Part 1 was mostly ceremonial and really not important in my view. As an individual that has struggled with religion since my parents' death, I am not convinced that religion has served man well throughout history, and to this day. I tend to agree with Karl Marx who called it the opium of the masses. Let's watch:



Next:



Next:

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7 - an excellent argument about God awarding exclusive real estate.

Part 8

Part 9

Hitchens is bald because of chemotherapy he has been undergoing for esophageal cancer. His prospects for survival are not great. Despite his dim prospects for survival, he has refused to embrace religion.

The audience registered pre-debate views (22% agreed, 57% didn’t and 75% said nothing would change their view), and then they voted again after the 90-minute session – which Hitchens’ atheism clearly won by gaining 17% more support to Blair’s increase of 7%.

Exotic Courier: Susan Lin, Jacob Thekkakara in Egypt

Susan and Jacob spent two unforgettable weeks this summer exploring Egypt's ancient ruins, including the Sphinx and Great Pyramids, but the highlights were the temples of Abu Simbel.

Susan and Jacob spent two unforgettable weeks this summer exploring Egypt’s ancient ruins, including the Sphinx and Great Pyramids, but the highlights were the temples of Abu Simbel. Due to a threat of submersion, the temple of King Ramses II and one of his wife Nefertiti were dismantled and reconstructed piece by piece on a cliff in the 1960s. Phenomenal, Susan said, as was the 45 C heat.  Read more

A visit back in history to Jewish Barcelona

The Spanish city has a rich Judaic tradition, and may be home to the oldest synagogue in Europe.

 Photo by: Arthur Wolak

BARCELONA – Known for its cosmopolitan restaurants, modernist architecture and pleasant Mediterranean climate, Barcelona – the second largest city in Spain (after Madrid), and capital of the province of Catalonia – also has a rich Jewish history that deserves to be explored by all interested tourists.

Long before the tumultuous expulsion of the Jews in 1492, Jewish culture thrived throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Indeed, during an era justifiably known as the Golden Age, Spain’s large, influential, and prolific Jewish community produced many luminaries. Through their great works of poetic, biblical and kabbalistic writings, these poets and rabbinic scholars exercised a profound influence on the development of Jewish philosophical thought, and halachic and liturgical practice. Their insights later spread throughout the Sephardi and Ashkenazi worlds. Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Judah Halevi, Abraham Ibn Ezra, Maimonides, and Nachmanides are just a few eminent names. In one way or another, each remains inextricably – and simultaneously – linked with the heritage of Spanish Jewry and the practice of contemporary Judaism.  more>>

Les juifs sont une minorité en Israël

"La population juive ne constitue plus la majorité du pays, entre le Jourdain et la mer Méditerranée." Telle est la thèse du professeur Sergio DellaPergola, de l’université hébraïque de Jérusalem.

Selon l’expert en démographie juive, les Juifs, tels que décrits par le gouvernement, représentent désormais moins de la moitié de la population totale en Israël, Judée-Samarie et bande de Gaza compris. more>>

Egypt vote unlikely to bring change

As voters in Egypt head to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections, the ruling National Democratic Party is widely expected to win the most seats. The opposition has accused the government of intimidating and harassing candidates, especially those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. And among the public, there's wide disillusion that anything will be changed by participating in the vote.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Cairo.

Schmaltzy history: A nostalgic look at fats for frying latkes

NEW YORK (JTA) --  Fat may be a dirty word now, but we can chart the history of American Jews through the fats they’ve used to fry their Chanukah latkes. Early immigrants relied on goose fat, which was replaced by chicken fat, which was eclipsed by Crisco, which was replaced by olive and canola oils.

 

Latkes over time have been fried in all of these, says Jane Ziegelman, author of "97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement." 97 Orchard St., a five-story brick structure, is the home of the New York Tenement Museum.

The book is a pushcart of information about what immigrants ate during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Two of the families Ziegelman profiled were Jewish. more on jtanews>>

Barbra Streisand Details Love of Design in New Book "My Passion for Design"

The coffee table book from Viking publishers takes readers on Streisand's years-long journey planning, building and furnishing the compound that resembles a 19th century New England farm with a barn, mill house, main house, Grandma's house and even a chicken coop. 

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS).- It's not exactly opening your home to guests at a holiday party, but for film and singing star Barbra Streisand and her fans, it's pretty close.

This week Streisand has seen her first book land in stores, but it's no memoir of star turns in films such as "Funny Girl" or "The Way We Were," nor does it recount the making of albums that have sold over 71 million copies.

For her debut as an author, Streisand has instead written about her love of architecture, art, furniture and landscaping in "My Passion for Design." But don't be fooled by its title because within the pages, the star tells tales from her life and career that influenced the choices she made in designing her dream home in Malibu, California.  MORE>>

Egypt's Pro-Women Election Turns Ugly

When Egypt's government announced its new parliamentary quota for women, it was hailed as a step for gender equality. The reality on the ground? Not so much. 

 CAIRO —For someone whose rally was just disbanded by plainclothes policemen and thugs wielding knives, Amal Abdel Karim is remarkably calm. The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated candidate for parliament, now sitting serenely in the parlor of her makeshift campaign headquarters in the poor Cairo neighborhood of Agouza, tells me she has been through far worse. continued>>

Egypt cancels BBC election coverage

BBC Arabic service has accused Egyptian state security of preventing media coverage of parliamentary elections and compelling its crew to return to Britain.

An official from BBC Arabic told Al-Masry Al-Youm that as its crew prepared for filming a program hosting influential leaders of Egypt’s political opposition, Wagdi al-Shennawi, the manager studio in which they were taping, demanded security service approval. more>>

Ce que les chrétiens doivent à leurs frères aînés

envoyé par Marlyse Saporta

Après vingt siècles de christianisme, et de longues périodes d’antisémitisme, la plupart des chrétiens ont quasiment perdu de vue l’origine hébraïque de leur foi. Les développements culturels de la foi issue d’Israël en terre païenne, les conséquences de l’antijudaïsme séculaire, tout a joué dans le sens d’une amnésie spirituelle tragique.

Pourtant, que cela plaise ou non, ce qui structure notre identité et notre pratique chrétiennes est issu du judaïsme : "chrétien" vient de "christ", mot grec pour l’original biblique "messie", (mashiah) terme qui n’aurait aucun sens en dehors de l’histoire d’Israël.

Nos Ecritures saintes elles-mêmes intègrent telle quelle la Bible hébraïque, à laquelle s’ajoutent les écrits du Nouveau Testament, élaborés avec le même matériau en tant que midrash conclusif de l’étape précédente.  en savoir plus>>

The Original Sin

by Uri Avnery

excerpt:

The Sephardi religious tradition has always been far more tolerant that the Ashkenazi one. It includes the teachings of geniuses like Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), the personal physician of the great Saladin. Maimonides forbade religious students to make a living from their studies and ordered them to go out and work. The Sephardis have their own traditions, garments and symbols.
But lo and behold, upon coming to Israel, they subordinated themselves to the Ashkenazis and adopted their blind fanaticism, together with the kaftan and the hats that originated in cold Eastern Europe, where they were worn by the non-Jewish upper classes in bygone centuries. Their Sephardi party, Shas, is slavishly subservient to the Ashkenazi Orthodox. Their “spiritual” leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, grovels before the East European anti-Hassidic Rabbis (called “Lithuanians”).
Last week, a miracle occurred. A Sephardic Rabbi, Haim Amsalem, rebelled against Rabbi Ovadia and his party, demanding a return to the Sephardic traditions of tolerance. He was promptly excommunicated.

Read the whole article>>

Israeli plan has Jerusalem 'the home of two capitals'

TEL AVIV (Ma'an) -- The son of slain former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin came out with a proposed peace plan, which would see Jerusalem proclaimed the capital of both an Israeli and Palestinian state, Israel's daily newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday.

According to the report, Yuval Rabin and Israeli businessman Koby Huberman have put together a response to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, coined the Israeli Peace Initiative, which would recognize a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, but maintain Jerusalem as a dual capital.  more>>

Russia to publish black list of Egyptian hotels, travel agencies

Photographed by Lina Attalah

 

The Russian Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy intends to publish on its website a blacklist that includes Egyptian travel agencies and hotels.
In Moscow on Wednesday the Russian Deputy Minister, Nadezhda Nadina, discussed with an Egyptian tourism advisor the need for Egypt to tighten its traffic regulations.
In the past week Egypt has seen three major road accidents in which Russian tourists were killed or injured. more>>

Le Parlement iranien aurait tenté de destituer Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Le Parlement iranien aurait eu l’intention de destituer le président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a révélé, lundi 22 novembre 2010, le Wall Street journal. Selon le quotidien économique américain, le Parlement aurait décidé d’une procédure de destitution à l’encontre du président iranien, mais se serait heurté au refus du Guide suprême, l’Ayatollah Khamenei, qui a le dernier mot sur toutes les affaires en Iran.

Cette décision serait en fait la conséquence de la demande, samedi 20 novembre, du Conseil des Gardiens de la Constitution, organe formé de religieux ultraconservateurs dont le but est de vérifier la comptabilité des lois avec l’Islam et la Constitution, qui a recommandé au Guide suprême de restreindre l’autorité du Parlement par rapport à celle du président.

Photo : D.R.

Stand-up comedy doing serious business across Middle East

Jordanian stand-up comedian Nabil Sawalha takes to the stage in Amman.

Though little heard of just a few years ago, stand-up comedy is now serious business in Cairo and other cities across the Middle East, drawing huge crowds, according to comics in the region.
And while western acts may have paved the way for this new enthusiasm for solo stage comics, the format has proved so popular that the region is now witnessing the rise of home-grown talent.
"It's a phenomenon," said Dean Obeidallah, an Arab-American comic whose 2005 "Axis of Evil" tour of the Middle East, featuring a cast of comedians from the region, is viewed by many as the catalyst for launching a new wave of comedy. read more on cnn>>

I found a fun sample for you:

Shyne, un rappeur chez les orthodoxes juifs

Jerusalem- Le rappeur Shyne, détenu durant neuf ans aux Etats-Unis pour avoir participé à une fusillade, est une sorte d'ovni dans le monde du rap: il est devenu juif  orthodoxe, porte chapeau et manteau noirs, des prophylactères, et, rédimé, ne plaisante
pas avec la loi religieuse.

 De son vrai nom Jamal Michael Barrow, Shyne a fait partie de la bande de Puff Daddy  (Sean Combs) et semblait promis à la fin des années 90 à une carrière de star du rap. Mais son destin a basculé en 1999 alors qu'il se trouvait dans une boîte de nuit de Manhattan avec  Puff Daddy et la compagne de ce dernier, Jennifer Lopez. Croyant que quelqu'un leur voulait  du mal, il ouvre le feu.  suite>>

Old time Communications: The Language of Ladies' Fans

prepared by Joe Rossano

edited by Aimee Kligman

Thanks to the Internet and the iPhone today, it's so easy and fast to communicate with one another.regardless of the distance.  How did people communicate in the past? There were many methods, but I want to feature in this article are ladies' hand fans.

Beautifully executed fans were once tools for flirtation and the intricate communication of messages in the 18th and early 19th centuries, especially in Victorian England. 

The Language of Fans: Victorian Flirting

     

Fans were not only a fashion accessory, but a means of flirtatious communication.   Wherever young men and women intermingled, the click of a fan sent a message
 

The Young Ladies Journal of 1872 reported on the significance of each charming gesture: Fan fast: I am independent. Fan slow: I am engaged. Fan with right hand in front of face: Come on. Fan with left hand in front of face: Leave me. Fan open and shut: Kiss me. Fan open wide: Love Fan half open: Friendship Fan shut: Hate Fan swinging: Will you see me home? Twirling in right hand: I am watching you. Drawn slowly across the cheek: I love you. Resting fan on right cheek: Yes. Placing the fan behind your head: Don't forget me. Touching the fan against your left ear:  Go away

Another source:

Carrying in the left hand, open: Come and talk to me.

Carrying in the right hand, in front of the face: Follow me.

Carrying in the left hand, in front of the face: Desirous for acquaintance.

Carrying the hands under the open fan:  Forgive me, I pray you.

Cover the left ear with the open fan:  Do not betray our secret.

Drawing through the hand:   I hate you.

Drawing across the cheek: I love you.

Drawing across the eyes:  I am sorry.

Drawing across the forehead: You have changed.

Dropping the fan:  We will be friends.

To fan slowly. :  I am married.

Fanning quickly:  I am engaged.

Gazing pensively at the shut fan:  Why do you misunderstand me?

Letting it rest on the right cheek:  Yes.

Letting it rest on the left cheek:  No.

Placing behind the head: Do not forget me.

With the little finger extended:  Goodbye.

Open and shut:  You are cruel.

Open wide:  Wait for me.

Placing it on the left ear:  I wish to get rid of you.

Presented shut:  Do you love me?

Presenting a number of sticks, fan apart, opened:  At what hour?

Shut fully opened fan very slowly:  I promise to marry you.

Shut fan held to the heart: You have won my love.

Shut fan resting on the right eye:  When may I be allowed to see you.

Threaten with the shut fan:  Do not be so imprudent.

Touching the unfolded fan in the act of waving: I long always to be near you

Touching tip with finger:  I wish to speak to you.

Twirling in the left hand:   I love another.

With handle to lips:   Kiss me.

History of the Fan 

Back in 1325 B.C.E., when King Tut ruled Egypt, minions would keep the air around the young pharaoh cool and insect-free with the aid of long-handled fans. Roughly 3,000 years later, fans were still being used to keep pests at bay, only this time they were held by young Victorian women, who would shoo away unworthy suitors by slowly fanning themselves. "Don't waste your time," was the explicit, ego-deflating message.

"As Sir Richard Steele, in the "Tatler" of 4 August 1709, wrote: "You may observe in all public Assemblies the sexes seems to separate themselves and to attack each other with eye-shot, that is the time when the fan, which is the armour of woman, is of most use in her defence, for our minds are constructed by the waving of that little instrument, and our thoughts appear in composure or agitation according to the motion of it."

From the sixteenth century up to the late 1800s throughout the whole of Europe, the dress of no fashionable lady en grande tenue appears to have been complete without the addition of a fan.  So prominent a part has this little "modish machine" played in intrigue, love, and scandal that it has been aptly termed "the woman's scepter." Invitations were given by it, assignations were made; a gracious furl encouraged the lover; a disdainful furl plunged him into despair. To read aright this language became a necessity in the education of all fine gallants, who must know how to understand each movement and interpret each flutter.

For more, go to :

http://www.victoriana.com/Fans/historyofthefan.html

A Few Antique Fans

 

 

 

      

Gorgeous quality handmade battenburg or Belgium black antique look fan

   

Hand tatted lace fan with silver leaf floral detail over raised enamel on mother of pearl frame and white knotted silk tassle

 

Beautiful Antique Ladies Fans, Feathers / Silk
  Joys of Yesterday

 
 

 

 



   

Other uses for fans were purely decorative, such as on the following greeting cards.

GREETING CARDS:  LADIES FANS WITH FLOWERS

JOJO